Edited I believe this tire combo caused me to roll during a powerslide due to a lack of lateral traction on the surtraks, and good lateral traction in the front tires. Do not make this same mistake!

I just put 26x12x12 (22lbs) Maxxis sur tracks on the back and 26x9x12 (22lbs) mudrunners on the front.
Why? because they are light, and surtracks have better hardpack characteristics than mudrunners. Mudrunner 26x12x12 is over 10lbs heavier per tire than the sur traks. The mudrunner front tire is the lightest 26" front tire I could find, and they handle steering on drypack perfectly. I really wanted 26", and maxxis does not make a 26" tire narrow enough for the front (TRX450 told us about his combo of putting the sur track on the back and the spider track on the front earlier last month). The main reason I did not follow trx450's advice in getting the spider track fronts is because the mudrunners are a tad lighter (2lbs), and I wanted to retain a little more mud capabilities. Oh yeah, the stockers weigh 14lbs front and 18lbs rear.

Report:

Ride - Smooth, soft. Almost as soft as dunflops. No complaint. Not in least.

Handling - Better than dunflops, no sidewalll collapse on corners. Takes full speed even better, no shaky, no jiggly, no jerky. The mudruners are 8" wide and ride soft, handle great and steer easy. I can power slide really well too.

Hardpack bite - Way better than dunflops (at least in 2x4, I don't 4x4 on hard pack). I get great bite and spent a lot of time wheelieing in the dirt (pavement is easy). The front mudrunners are probably not the best pick for hardpack traction, but in the front I really don't need that. As I said before, the mudrunner fronts do an excellent job steering on hardpack. Just what I needed.

Mud - much better than dunflops, about halfway between the mudzillas and the stockers in mud performance. Mudzilla really, really bites into mud. You mud boggin people probably want a more aggressive tire than the sur track or the mudrunner. A full set of mudrunners is better in the mud than this combo, due to the mudrunner width of the back tire, but we all know there are quite a few better tires than mudrunners in the mud.

Thanks, TRX450, for pointing me toward this kind of tire combo, that perfectly satifies my hardpack needs without leaving me stuck in the mud. I am impressed.

Maxxis, you are really not that in touch with the consumer's tire needs. We would really like more sizes to choose from in some of your tires besides the mud bug and mudzilla. I would have used sur traks in the front if you made the right sizes.

FYI, the rolling distances of these two tires is almost exactly the same. I cannot feel a drag, even on pavement. I'm sorry for not measuring the rolling distances for those that want to know. I don't plan to. The 4x4 shifting is infinitely better than the dunflops now because the tires are so well matched.

FYI2, I mounted these tires myself. It is a piece of cake. I have a real "ATV" tire spoon, which made it easier. The only part I don't like is the loud BANG when the bead seats. Scares the yell out of me. My bead breaker could not break the dunlop beads. A tire store did that for me a week ago, and I already sold the fronts on ebay, and the rears are still for bid until May 14.

 

Maxxis, you are really not that in touch with the consumer's tire needs. We would really like more sizes to choose from in some of your tires besides the mud bug and mudzilla. I would have used sur traks in the front if you made the right sizes.

yeah, what he said. Same goes for some other cheap tires I'd like to try- turf savers for MOST of the summer farm work (I'd own two sets)...but somehow the bling bling of 20" tires on my Prairie would be at home cruising the strip in an MTV video but.....I'd be scraping everywhere.

 

NYROC... I have found tires like Interco's TSL's far out perform the Spider Trac, All Trac, Bear Claw tread pattern... the TSL's really exceeded my expectations of the tire, IMO, they have just the right amount of sideways slide... I have 4 - 25" X 12.5" X 12" TSL's that I use for pulling, & 2 sets of 22" TSL's, for the rear, that I use for loose couse hare scrambles, 2 WD mud bog racing, dirt drags & ice racing ( as one set is studded )... they seem to be wearing better than I thought they would, & the hard pack traction is even better than I expected, & the 22" X 12.5" X 9" rears actually ride better than the stockers ( probably because of the taller sidewall )...

I may actually have to get a set of the new 6 ply Chene Shin Lightfoot's in 26" X 10" X 12" for the fronts to try out... they look like a new promising tire... I have yet to see the weights on them, but haven't really been looking, as work has been too busy...

I hope you & the quad are OK, after the roll over...

 

I would say after 2 years he has made a full recovery. LOL

 

THAT...is funny... I didn't notice that CWG dragged up that old post...LOL...

 

Kisssofdeath, I fully recovered from my bruises. In a few days I was moving around without pain.

Hey, please reboot your PC if you haven't rebooted it since you ran the .reg file.

Also, would you ever consider a manual machine? I think that would be fun but would work against you seriously bad on a highly technical trail. Those suzuki guys in the HL forum are telling me they want a manual. A manual could be fun to play on but I think it would get old fast and bring up serious difficulties when you need to get both feet on one side off camber.

 

Yeah, "search-happens" LOL

 

Speaking of Lightweight Combos!!!

I have some Douglas 190s Im waiting on 12-6 front and 12-8 rears, Was going to try 12-7 rear but I think the 12/8's will be a better spread for me? Im mounting Bias Ply Big Horns on them. My setup now being Beadlocks and Radial Horns, Im going to drop close to 40lbs in wheel weight I beleave? Hopefully I will be setup by this weekends ride? What do you all think I will see? Will I be passing the raptor and v-force?-lol
~Coop

www.MarylandATV.com
Prairie 700
Team Green Plastic
Progressive Springs
OMF Beadlocks
Maxxis Big Horns
Dyna CDI
EPI Pink Spring
Twin Air Filter
HMF Penland Exhaust
exhaust wrap
>
Vcams
4* key
on the way!
Oh and a Bunch of other Toyz

 

When I ordered my custom Keizer double beadlocks last year, I got 6" fronts & 8" rears... that seems to work great for me... they aren't much heavier than anyone elses standard singe beadlocks...

aren't youb already passing up the Raptors & Forces ???

 

I will reboot here in a few minutes. I would consider a 5 speed auto.